Cardiospermum halicacabum - Balloonvine

❏ Binomial Name : Cardiospermum halicacabum L.

❏ Synonym : Cardiospermum glabrum, Rhodiola biternata, Cardiospermum microspermum

❏ Family : Sapindaceae

❏ Common Name : Balloonvine

❏ Tamil Name : Mudakattan

❏ Hindi Name : Kanphuti,Kapalphodi

❏ IUCN status : Not Evaluated

Cardiospermum halicacabum Botanical Description

Climbing or trailing herbs. Leaves alternate, bi-ternate; leaflets 2-4 x 1-2.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, deeply dentate or lobed, apex acute to acuminate, membranous; petiole to 3 cm long. Flowers white, polygamous in 3-7-flowered axillary tendril-bearing peduncles; peduncle up to 5 cm long. Sepals 4, in 2-pairs, outer pair smaller. Petals 4, white, unequal, with basal scales. Stamens 8; filaments unequal, pilose. Ovary 3-locular; ovule 1-per locule; stigma 3-fid. Capsule papery, inflated, 3-lobed, winged. Seeds one in each chamber, black with a white eye. Fl. &Fr.: July-February.

Cardiospermum halicacabum Medicinal uses

❀ The decoction prepared from the roots can be given for haemorrhoids.

❀ Leaves and young shoots - cooked and eaten as a vegetable

❀ The leaves can be crushed well, ground and applied over the lower abdomen of the delivered woman. This helps in expulsion of waste products out of the uterus.

❀ The decoction prepared from the samoolam or whole plant can be given in the dose of 20 to 30 ml for constipation and abdominal discomfort.

❀ The oil prepared from the leaves acts as a very effective external application for arthritis and other painful conditions of the body.

❀ For dandruff, the leaves are soaked in water and then crushed well. This water is used in cleaning the hairs. The oil prepared from the paste of the leaves and gingilly oil can be used as a hair tonic and cure for dandruff.

❀ The whole plant is diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, laxative, refrigerant, rubefacient, stomachic and sudorific

❀ A tea made from them is used in the treatment of itchy skin

Cardiospermum halicacabum photos

You can also add your pictures in this website. What you can do is send your pictures along with the information contain where and when you took to this given mail id flowersoftamilnadu@gmail.com Thank You

If you have any comments about the site or the pictures, good or bad, we'd like to hear from you. Please do comments!